Opioids and the COVID-19 pandemic: does chronic opioid use or misuse increase clinical vulnerability?

Editor—Opioids have predictable analgesic actions and are widely used in many clinical settings, but they also produce unwanted side-effects including respiratory depression, tolerance and are misused. Misuse and poor opioid stewardship in the therapeutic arena are generally accepted as the underlying cause of what we describe as the ‘opioid epidemic’ or ‘opioid crisis’. [Taken from opening paragraph]